6 August 2007
Many senior managers communicate badly, survey says
Top-level bosses could do better in contact with employees.
Nearly half of all senior managers don't communicate well with their employees, according to a survey of over 2,000 US and Canadian HR practitioners by professional–services firm, Novations Group.
Asked to grade executive's contact with employees from A to E (with E being the worst), nearly half of those questioned gave managers a C grade or worse (see the box on the right).
Failure warning
The findings are a warning to organizations that they're failing to connect with their employees, says Rebecca Hefter, Novations Group senior vice president for training.
"HR people have a unique vantage on employee opinions and attitudes, and are ideally placed to evaluate the communications effectiveness of top management," she says.
"The survey results aren't just disturbing, they're also startling, given the time and money devoted to internal communications," Hefter says.
The survey results aren't just disturbing, they're also startling, given the time and money devoted to internal communications.
Shortcomings identified
Asked to identify what senior managers are doing wrong, the survey's respondents said:
- Too much reliance on e-mail and little face-to-face time with employees – 35%.
- Assuming a single message is enough – 30%.
- Not setting up a feedback loop – 28%.
- Senior management's messages lack clarity – 24%.
- Communicates too much and too often – 3%.
There seems to be a point of diminishing returns when e-mail is relied upon so much.
Weakness of e-mail
Few of those questioned faulted management for trying too hard to communicate, says Hefter. "What stands out is the inherent weakness of e-mail for employee communications," she says.
"The internet is used more and more, but there seems to be a point of diminishing returns when e-mail is relied upon too much. Employees like to see and hear their management and may feel contact is depersonalized by too much e-mail messaging, instead of direct contact," Hefter says.
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